3 Things That Have Helped Improve My Sleep

 

• Sleep stories - get sleepy on YouTube is probably my favourite channel. Whether to guide my mind through a sleepless night less left to its own devices to explore so many things I don't want it to, or to help actually lul me to sleep, Thomas Jones and friends genuinely changed my ability to sleep even on very terrible nights.

• A seven-pound weighted blanket. In the past I had only been familiar with much heavier ones and they didn't seem like anything I could possibly enjoy using. However, once trauma-related neurologic disorder was making my leg shake almost all the time and I couldn't not get the rest from it I needed, I revisited the idea of weighted. After all, I had started to find cuddly, cozy, and reassuring things comforting. Maybe in spite of my anti-hug history, feeling hugged as I sleep or try t sit or lie down could be good. Before this, I had never realized that the blanket considered probably best for you is based on a weight of 8-12% of your body weight or something, or known that they even came in such a variety of weights to choose from. I was torn between a 7lb and a 10lb, 

• Putting lotion on my feet generously - To prevent them from overheating (or cool them down when they do - applies to whole body, actually), and somewhat counter-intuitively prevent deep itch and as well as other skin conditions that can be associated with or worsened by dry skin, cracks, or lesions. Bonus: For extra moisture retention, put a pair of socks on afterwards. (I recommend cotton or bamboo fibers, rather than synthetic).

• Back-sleeping, and, side-sleeping wedges, respectively. For one thing, while I am not a highly bodacious gal by any means even I find putting the Back-sleeping half-cylinder memory foam pillow either under my knees, or as far back as under my upper thighs, can be really, really comfortable. After things deteriorated a lot, my thigjs and thinner as I lost a lot of weight, ans he too one "falling" more when lying sideaays may have contributed to the increase in pain and discomfort

• Traditional seeping mask. Bor only does this block even smaller amounts of light from sleeping through, but the traditional kind that is not raised above your eyes I find keep any eyes shut instead of instinctively opening them so much, including though not minutes to because of fears.

• Side-sleeping leg pillow for between the knees - as I lost a lot of weight, my thighs got quite thin and I feel like this has to do with feeling a little increased strain at times sleeping on my side. A pillow between he knees always helped, but this little handy foam wedge is shaped so optimally for that

• sit-up reading pilllow - growing up out family had one and now that I also have one, how is it a game changer not only for reading specifically and DS otting in bed when you're sick, but it has really upped my wind down game at night 🍵 

• Trying to do/complete journals before bed, and let bed be more of a true wj d-diw .

• Doing as much preparation and ginishing before something as possible, rather than scheduling getting yourself together and packing things, lunch, or whatever in the morning. (Or, having put-off tasks to hit first thing if it's avoidable enough to a reasonable degre.